


There doesn't have to be a reason

by RedButterfly33



Series: Lisa Fawley Stories [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Friendship, Marauders' Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-17 12:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4666743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedButterfly33/pseuds/RedButterfly33
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we gather Dumbledore an army to fight the Death Eaters?"</p><p>Remus laughed. "I wouldn't put it quite so dramatically. But yes, I do think we should start some sort of counter movement."</p><p>"You're mad," she concluded. "A complete nutter."</p><p>"They're gaining influence. With more of them joining, how long do you think it'll be before open attacks against muggle-borns do start? We must do something now, before everything gets worse."</p><p>"And what would we do before we graduate and run off to Dumbledore? Just patrol the corridors? Hex anyone that looks suspicious?"</p><p>"Is that not heroic enough for you?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.</p><p>"That's not... who would we even... how-"</p><p>"We'll figure it out," Remus interjected, a strange fire twinkling in his eyes. "Are you with me?"</p><p>He offered her his hand and everything instantly became clear. She placed her palm in his.</p><p>"As if you need to ask."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. People stare at things a lot

"If you stare at him any more, you might burn a hole on the back of his head," Dorcas whispered into her friend's ear.

"It's not like anyone would even notice with all that smoke," Lisa shot back, tearing her eyes away from the boy measuring dried nettles two tables ahead and a row to the right.

Dorcas rolled her eyes. "Lucky for you I'm excellent at potions; otherwise I might be a little cross that you're not carrying your weight," she joked good-naturedly.

"You're not _the best_ in the year though," Lisa taunted, nodding behind them, where she knew Lily Evans and Mary McDonald were working. A smile tugged at her lips, as she saw the unmistakable glint in Dorcas' eye, and knew her distraction was successful.

"Not this year. With that falling out she had with Snape, the best student spot is wide open," Dorcas said, as she carefully dipped the Flobberworm Mucus bottle over the tip of their cauldron.

"She wasn't good because she was working with Snape," Lisa noted dryly.

"Maybe, but they're sure to distract each other. The way Remus Lupin distracts you, I might add," Dorcas said shrewdly, making her friend flinch. Lisa cursed under her breath at her unsuccessful ruse and stole another look at him.

"If you fancy him, why wait?" Dorcas whispered in her ear. "Just go up to him and ask him out, or something. You're not kids anymore."

"It's not that," Lisa shook her head slightly, her eyes still lingering on the scales he was holding a minute ago.

"No?" Dorcas lifted an eyebrow. "What's this about then?"

Lisa sighed sadly. She didn't know what exactly was wrong about the way Remus Lupin had treated her in the two weeks since the beginning of their sixth year, but she knew something was different between them. They were never best mates or anything like that, but there was a certain warmth in his voice when he addressed her before. The only feeling she got from talking to him recently was a chilly breeze. She shuddered involuntarily.

"He's just been... acting differently lately," she admitted. Dorcas' eyes were glued to her, as their potion bubbled in front of them, completely forgotten.

"How differently?" Dorcas asked, seeing the hurt in her best friend's eyes. She shot Lupin a glance, but he didn't seem to have changed his disposition towards his friends, at least.

"He's been... less friendly" Lisa replied, not knowing how to put it better. Dorcas' eyes narrowed, as her gaze moved from her distressed friend to the Marauders, Lupin's little friend circle. It consisted of himself, James Potter (one of the Gryffindor Chasers), Sirius Black (disowned pureblood, who had at least three distinct fan clubs devoted to him) and Peter Pettigrew (a short and innocent-looking boy, who seemed to idolize his more popular friends). They were notorious pranksters and rule breakers, when they weren't bullying people for a laugh. Her hand reached down her robes for her wand, but Lisa quickly wrapped her fingers around her wrist.

"No, no, no, I didn't mean he was nasty to me or anything. Put that away before you land us in detention!" Lisa hissed urgently.

"Then say what you mean with less vague statements! I was this close to hexing him!" Dorcas grumbled, shoving the wand back in her robes. With the animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor growing exponentially lately, she feared Lisa might have a harder time justifying their friendship to her housemates.

"If he needed hexing, I would have done it myself, you know!" Lisa puffed indignantly.

Just as Dorcas was about to respond, the surface of their potion started foaming and bubbling violently, until it burst up, showering everyone in the light purple draught, as some of the more unfortunate students who _didn't_ duck under their tables collapsed to the ground.

"Looks like someone forgot to give it another stir after increasing the heat, eh?" Professor Slughorn chuckled, as he bent down to examine Lisa's cauldron. Dorcas shot her a look and Lisa forced a sheepish smile onto her face.

"Sorry, Professor... it's a bit hard to see the instructions, when my eyes are watery from so much smoke..."

"Quite alright, quite alright... it's only a bit of Sleeping Draught, no harm done. Even the best of us can forget a stir here and there, what with so many blasted cauldrons smoking in the same room" Slughorn beamed. "Just make sure to give your classmates the antidote... I know I had some here..."

"You can get away with _murder_ with that guy," Dorcas whispered, when Slughorn was too busy rummaging through his bag to hear.

"Only because my grandfather used to be Minister for Magic, thirty bloody years ago!" Lisa whispered back with annoyance.

Despite her parents and everyone else around her telling her that being in the "Slug Club" was something of an honor, she couldn't shake the feeling she was being used, polished only so that she may one day serve as another one of Slughorn's 'connections'. The whole concept rubbed her the wrong way, too. Collecting students like stamps, then placing them in favorable position in the wizarding world... she thought people should be promoted based on their abilities, not who their grandparents were.

Dorcas looked around the room, counted all their passed out classmates and sighed. "Looks like I'll be late for Defense."

"Go, I'll take care of it," Lisa offered. She knew Defense Against the Dark Arts was Dorcas' favorite subject. "It was my fault the cauldron exploded anyway."

Dorcas threw a longing look at the dungeon door, but shrugged indifferently. "It wasn't _entirely_ your fault. Just mostly."

Lisa gave her friend a grateful smile, which quickly faded as she saw the Marauders leaving to go to Herbology. Dorcas followed her gaze and frowned.

"We are not done talking about this," she said, as Professor Slughorn made his way towards them with the antidote.

* * *

 oOo

On Friday, those who wished to continue Care of Magical Creatures past the O.W.L. level, gathered on the third floor to listen to the often very hazardous lessons taught by Professor Kettleburn. Not many chose to continue this particular subject, especially given Professor Kettleburn's tendencies to bring dangerous and often illegal creatures into the closed off space of the classroom. Of all the sixth year Gryffindors only one boy and one girl had chosen to take the class, as most preferred to learn how to _defend_ themselves against dark creatures nowadays, rather than take care of them. So, when on their third lesson of the term Professor Kettleburn finally told them to divide in to couples so they could try to create Ashwinders (a serpent that is created from the remains of a magical fire) to study, everyone quickly found a partner, and as they were the only Gryffindors in the room, Lisa tried to approach Remus. ' _It's alright_ ' she thought, ' _just act normal. Maybe you just imagined it after all?_ '

"Mind if I join?" she asked Remus, who was already sitting on the ground and conjuring the fire.

"Sure," he said courteously, still staring at the flames.

She sat down cross-legged across him and looked around. The other couples were scattered across the room and were chatting with each other, as Kettleburn was already nodding off on his desk.

"So... this looks like it'll be a pretty breezy lesson, huh?" she tried to smile. Remus nodded shortly, not moving his eyes from the fire.

"Is... is everything... alright with you?" she asked cautiously, finally making him look up.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just... you're not cross with me, are you?"

"Of course not" he objected, and she finally grasped a bit of genuine emotion behind his voice. "What makes you say that?"

"I, hm... it just seems like... you're avoiding me lately."

"I am not. It must be the pressure of sixth year getting to you. Lessons are getting more intense by the day." He gave her a smile, but it never reached his eyes.

"I suppose...," she said hesitantly. She knew full well she was _not_ imagining it, but he simply refused to acknowledge it. His eyes moved back to the fire.

"Are we supposed to... just kill time until the Ashwinder hatches?" Lisa asked, but only got a noncommittal shrug from him.

She tried to start a conversation two or three more times, but he only replied with one or two words, albeit with his usual politeness. Soon that sucked out her enthusiasm, until she just gave up and the two of them waited silently for their Ashwinder to appear, surrounded by the happy chatter of their classmates.

Her eyes also wandered to the fire, and she found herself reminiscing about other times the two of them had been paired up for assignments. Like that time in Charms in third year, when he tried the Cheering charm on her, and got so flustered it made her giggle all throughout the next five days, as his frantic attempts to undo it only sent her into more violent fits of laughter. Her jaw hurt for a month after that. Or last year, when she had tired to help him with his Astronomy homework, only to confuse the entire chart of the Northern with that of the Southern hemisphere and end up ruining the whole thing, so he had to start from scratch. Or in Care of Magical Creatures, when the salamander they were feeding nibbled at his robes, setting them on fire.

It was true that Remus was usually not very talkative to people who weren't his three best friends, but she _had_ gotten him to relax before. So why was he so guarded with her now?

* * *

 oOo

"Spill," Dorcas said, planting herself across Lisa on the Gryffindor table later at lunch.

"Spill what, my pumpkin juice? I assure you it looks the same in my mouth as it does in the goblet," Lisa said cheekily, trying to avoid her friend's probing.

"You know perfectly well what I want you to spill," Dorcas retorted, unimpressed. "I told you we weren't done talking about it."

"Hey, Meadowes, what're you doing here with us 'Gryffin _dorks_ '?" Frank Longbottom, a seventh year, interrupted jokingly from a few seats away and threw a grape at Dorcas.

"None of your bloody business, Longbottom," Dorcas laughed and retaliated by chucking an orange at his head.

"OI! You can kill someone with that!" Frank yelped, narrowly avoiding the projectile and walking over to where the two girls were sitting.

"It's so rare to see you out of the snake pit, Meadowes, don't be so secretive. What brings you to our humble lion's den?" he asked again, sitting down next to Lisa.

"Oh, I thought I might gather some information for You-know-Who. He's bound to let me into his inner circle after I bring him the secrets of the Gryffindor Sheppard's Pie," Dorcas said sarcastically and Lisa and Frank laughed.

A little ways down the table, three fourth year girls regarded them with a mixture of hostility and fear. Dorcas frowned a little.

"Don't mind them, Cass," Lisa said in a low voice. "They just can't help themselves. You know as well as I do that Snape and his posse don't exactly encourage inner-house relations right now..."

Dorcas nodded grimly. She couldn't exactly blame those fourth years, after the whispering of joining the Dark Lord, she knew, was strongest in her own common room. She tried to put it aside for now, in favor of interrogating Lisa.

"So... about Lupin. What did he do?"

"Lupin? Did he do something to you?" Frank wheeled on Lisa.

"For the last time, he did NOT do anything!" she shouted, earning herself a few curious glances. "He's just been acting a bit... peculiar, that's all."

Dorcas sighed in frustration. "I knew that already. Can you be more _specific_ this time?"

Lisa looked down at her plate and twirled a lock of blond hair between her fingers nervously.

"It's really not a big deal... he's just... colder," she said.

"Colder?" Frank raised an eyebrow. Dorcas shot him an I-told-you-she-was-being-vague look.

"I don't know how to explain it, alright?" Lisa muttered sadly. "He just treats me differently, and that's that."

Frank's eyes slid over to the doors of the Great Hall, where the Marauders had just appeared. They sat down together and laughed at something Sirius Black said.

"He looks normal to me," Frank noted. "What is this 'deference' expressed in, exactly?"

"He just..." Lisa fumbled, looking for the right words. "He acts more distant... Guarded. Like... like I got on his bad side with something, but he's trying not to be bitter about it."

"Maybe he fancies you," Frank laughed. "Have you snogged anyone in front of him lately?"

Lisa could practically feel the blood rushing to her face as she whacked him across the shoulder. "No!"

"Why don't you just ask him about it?" Dorcas supplied helpfully.

"I tried. He said that nothing's wrong and flat out denied anything was happening at all!" Lisa exclaimed angrily. She didn't know why it even bothered her so much, he still treated her courteously, yet she felt their interactions were completely different now.

"Like I said already, it's not a big deal," she mumbled, looking down at her hands. "I'll get over it."

"You better. I need you on 100%, Fawley," James Potter's voice rang in Lisa's ear, almost making her spill her pumpkin juice. When did he even get behind her?!

"You're such a prat, Potter," came the voice of Lisa's friend and dorm mate Lily Evans, as she and the other Gryffindor girls, Alice, Mary and Marlene came into view.

"You need her on the Quidditch pitch, her troubles be damned, is that it?" she added angrily, staring daggers into him. His right hand immediately went up to his hair, as it often did when he was nervous.

"It's not like that, Evans!" he said defensively. "She said it's not a big deal, whatever it is, and kicking the Slytherins' butts in a couple of weeks might make her feel better!"

"He _is_ the Captain this year, Lily" Lisa called. "He's just looking out for the team. Congratulations, by the way," she turned to James.

"Ah, yes, thanks. I'll post the practice timetable on the bulletin board. Tryouts are tomorrow, so try not to land yourself in detention, Fawley. I want you there to see how well we'll work with the third chaser. You're always welcome to try out, Evans. Some time flying around on a broom will do wonders for your anger issues. Not that you're not beautiful when you're angry," he added with a wink toward Lily and walked away. She just rolled her eyes and took the empty seat next to Lisa.

"The minute I graduate and no longer have to see his insufferable grin, will be the happiest moment of my life," she grumbled, as the other girls sat down as well.

"Maybe you should give him a chance," Alice said gently. "He's been after you for years now, hasn't he? And he did defend you last year..."

Lily's eyes narrowed and the grip on her fork tightened.

"I didn't need _defending_ ," she said through gritted teeth, her eyes fluttering for a second to the Slytherin table.

Dorcas and Lisa exchanged glances, as they (like everyone else) knew Lily was thinking of her no longer existing friendship with Severus Snape. For a while, Lisa felt a certain kinship with Lily, because they both had Slytherin best friends. That is, until she got to know Snape. Dorcas also glanced toward the Slytherin table, seeing quite a few pairs of eyes watching their little group.

"I guess I'll be going now," she said, getting up. "I'm attracting some... attention. See ya later, Lisa." And with a wave, she went back to her house table.

"Anyway... what troubles are you having?" Mary asked, trying to change the subject. Lily's eyes cleared and she moved them questioningly to Lisa.

"Just family things," she lied smoothly, shooting Frank a warning glance. "My aunt wants to set me up at St. Mungo's after I graduate."

It wasn't a complete lie. Her aunt Aubrey was sure a career as a healer would be perfect for her, and never missed a chance to remind her that all she has to do is have a five-minute conversation with Slughorn to ensure a position. Lisa's nose wrinkled at the idea.

"What's so bad about St. Mungo's?" Lily chimed in, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'm thinking about applying there after Hogwarts."

"I'm sure it'll be _very hard_ for Slughorn's favorite witch," Marlene hinted not-so-subtly.

Lily threatened to soak Marlene in pumpkin juice, which Marlene called a bluff. Lily, not one to be called a coward, emptied the contents of her goblet right on top of Marlene's hair, and everyone laughed as the two girls chased each other and Lily was trying to apologize in between giggles. Amid her own laughter, Lisa's eyes wandered to the Marauders, as they often did lately. James was looking at Lily with his usual love-struck face, as were Sirius and Peter. But not Remus. Remus Lupin was staring right at her.

She shook her head. Did she imagine that? After a second look, all of the Marauders were looking at the spectacle that was Marlene and Lily. But she was sure that for that one moment, despite his cold demeanor these past few weeks, Remus only had eyes for her.


	2. The East Wing Corridor

Lisa shifted from foot to foot impatiently, as she waited in the cold Saturday morning for the new recruits to show up. Her Chaser uniform wasn't helping to shield her from the cold October air, and she was eager to get on her broom and warm up. They needed a beater, a seeker and a chaser, after Gideon Prewett, Malcolm McGonagall and Sandra Wood had all graduated last year. It would be hard to find someone as fast as Malcolm, or as strong as Gideon, Lisa thought sadly. She couldn't really say she'd miss Sandra though. Between her and James' constant need to show off, it was a miracle they ever won anything at all! She hoped the new Chaser would help her reign in their big-headed Captain and they'd play as a team for once.

"Well, no point of us freezing to death while we wait. Let's have a bit of practice shall we? I need to know if I should keep an eye today for replacements for you lot," James quipped and pushed himself off the ground.

An unbelievable sense of freedom overwhelmed Lisa as she soared through the air. She had played a bit of Quidditch with Frank Longbottom over the holidays, when her father insisted they pay a visit to his sister, Frank's mother. But other than that, her summer was sad and flight-less, as her parents were worried it'd attract too much attention, and no one wanted _that_ these days. You never knew when Death Eaters might walk by and decide you're a blood traitor and the fact that her father wasn't exactly making his sentiments on the matter vague didn't help matters, either. Lisa didn't take James' threat about replacements seriously, but she still felt a knot in her stomach, as she floated across her Captain.

"Alright team, let's start with some standard maneuvers. Right then, Page, go for the Bludger Backbeat, O'Flaherty - a Double Eight Loop. Fawley, you and I can try out a Porskoff Ploy, and then go for a Reverse Pass. Ready?"

Lisa was not feeling ready at all, but she nodded. The guilt and nervousness from not playing all summer weighed in her stomach like lead. Why did James choose such a move combo to perform on their _first practice_? The Porskoff Ploy was a very easy thing to mess up, required pinpoint timing on the part of the Chasers, not to mention how _spectacularly_ a Reverse Pass could fail. With all the people staring to gather below them, Lisa felt the chances of humiliating herself were rather big. She gripped her broomstick tighter and breathed in and out to calm herself.

Would Remus be watching? No, she wouldn't think about him right now. He probably would be, he's one of James' best mates, and he comes to every game... NO! She would not allow herself to be distracted! ' _Concentrate on James_ ' she told herself. ' _You have to be completely in sync for this to work_ '. She glanced over at her bespectacled teammate, purposefully avoiding looking at the stands. He gave her an encouraging smile and spun the Quaffle on his finger cockily. Lisa couldn't help but roll her eyes at that, and the knot in her stomach loosened up a little.

James blew the whistle and whizzed through the air and Lisa flew behind him at a slower pace. Suddenly he pulled up and she picked up her speed, observing his movements like a hawk, as his arm muscles twitched and she accelerated abruptly, flying below him just as the Quaffle he dropped was on her level. She grabbed it and flew towards the rings, doing a twist in the air to avoid the one Bludger they were training with. Trying for the Reverse pass now, she concentrated on her peripheral senses and hearing, attempting to sense if James was behind her. When she thought she could hear the faint flapping of robes that weren't hers, Lisa took a chance and threw the Quaffle over her shoulder, hoping he would catch it, then dove sharply to the left. O'Flaherty, who was zooming back and forth between the rings, dived after her, just as James flew past and scored in the rightmost ring.

Applause erupted from below, and the team looked down to see a small crowd that had formed and was waiting for their turn to try out. There were people on the stands too, but Lisa kept her eyes on her broom.

"I suppose everyone's here now," James said, landing on the ground and surveying the crowd. "Alright you blighty runts, form three piles, chasers here, beaters here and seekers over there."

As the tryouts progressed, Lisa couldn't help but notice how good she and James worked off each other. He usually wasn't one for teamwork, preferring to score as much as he can, but this time, he actually _passed_. And he was turning out to be a solid leader as well, something that had worried her ever since she learned of his captaincy. A nagging voice in the back of her head had told her all summer that practices would be irregular because of his frequent detentions, and would most likely consist of parties and illegal drinking of Firewhiskey. She was glad she was wrong though, and thought to herself that he seemed to have grown up since last year.

After three hours and a few Bludger bruises, James settled on Felicity Rickett, a blond third year with quick reflexes for a Seeker, Eddie Cornhill, a burly fifth year for a Beater and Adrian Fleet, another fifth year for a Chaser. Lisa and James worked well with Fleet, but he was easily distracted by the crowd and as a result, his accuracy suffered. Still, he was the best that showed up, so they took what they could get.

As James dismissed everyone, his friends came over and Lisa's stomach flipped once she realized Remus was in fact watching the whole thing. She suddenly felt like she was about to throw up her breakfast.

"That was some brilliant flying there, Prongs," Sirius said, clapping a hand over his mate's shoulder. "Almost kept me from falling asleep." James punched his shoulder playfully. "You too, Fawley. I don't remember you ever being so good during an actual game. Were you trying to impress me?" Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Maybe I was. Did it work?" Lisa joked, meeting Remus' eyes for only a second.

"Maybe it did. Go out with me and I'll tell you for sure," Sirius shot back, making her laugh.

"What, and thrill our parents that we're keeping the bloodline pure? I don't think so," she said, earning a bark-like laughter from him.

"Damn me and my vow make my mother as miserable as possible! How about a secret date then?"

"Nope, still a pureblood. I don't think I could live with myself."

"I'm not saying we should start shagging like bloody rabbits! Unless, you want to, of course." He winked and everyone within earshot laughed as Lisa's face turned crimson.

"Dream on, Black."

"I think I'll take you up on that. I'll see you in my dreams tonight, Fawley. Wear something... less comfortable," he smirked.

She shoved passed him and hurried to Gryffindor Tower, eager to get out of the uniform and take a shower, before she died from embarrassment.

* * *

oOo

A few hours later, Lisa happily made her way to the Library. Happily, because Marlene McKinnon showered her with questions about the incredibly fast-spreading rumors that her and Sirius were dating, not helped by the fact that Sirius had wolf-whistled after her as she came down to the common room to escape. The Library was usually empty on a Saturday on the third week of term, so she headed there to avoid her housemates. She needed some peace and quiet right now, to think over some things. Okay, to think over one thing. Ever since Remus started pulling away, she had been more... aware of him. Whenever he was around, she found it hard to look anywhere else and to pay attention to anything that didn't involve him. Lisa even caught herself thinking about him at night and wishing, wanting things to go back to the way there were before. Back when he wasn't avoiding her. Back when he didn't drop his eyes as soon as they crossed hers and back when he was kind and helpful and _smiled_ at her. She hadn't realized how much she'd miss that smile.

She thought of how desperately she was starting to want to fix it, to do something, _anything_ about it. But what could she do? Talking to him about it didn't yield anything, and his attitude was different exclusively towards her, so most people hadn't even noticed it. Lisa even asked James before tryouts if he was feeling aright, but all she got as a response was 'Yeah, why wouldn't he be?'. She considered taking Sirius up on that date offer for a moment to thoroughly interrogate him, but dismissed the idea just as quickly. James hadn't told her anything, and he didn't have a reason to hide it, if he knew. And as self-absorbed as _he_ could be, his best friend was ten times worse.

' _Enough is enough!_ ' Lisa told herself firmly, feeling an all too familiar fire in her gut. If he had a problem, he should take it up with her! As Dorcas said, they weren't kids anymore and she deserved an explanation at least, or a chance to apologize, if...

A loud _THUDD_ snapped her from her thoughts. She hadn't even realized when she had gotten to the Library. Making a cautious left turn at the Invisibility Section she peeked around the corner and there, at the bottom of the row were two blokes, one pushing the other against the back wall.

"I know your secret," said Severus Snape in a low growl, clutching the front of Remus Lupin's robes.

Lisa's heart went up to her throat, then plummeted to the depths of her stomach.

" _He_ can't keep me quiet forever. And when I tell everyone, you and your tosser friends will be expelled," Snape drawled, every word dripping with poison and twisted delight. "I wonder if they'll send you to Azkaban... For someone like you to relive their worst memory over and over again... how long do you think you'll last before you go mad?"

Remus was staring right at the Slytherin, face white and eyes wide with horror. Before she knew what was happening, Lisa jumped out from around the bookshelf.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" she exclaimed, as Snape let go of Remus' shirt. "You said to wait for you in the Charms Section, right? What're you doing way out here?" she continued merrily, wrapping her hand around his and pulling him away from Snape. The boys gaped at her in confusion, and she took that chance to head to the exit, chattering about charms and homework to keep it going.

"He can't stop me," Snape added menacingly out of nowhere, just as they were about to leave. "You and your little friends, you think you own the school, that the rules don't apply to you because, you're so _great_ , but I-" he stopped abruptly, as Lisa's wand pressed against his throat. All pretense of cheerfulness was gone from her eyes, as she glared venomously at Snape. Her blood was thumping in her ears, her rage threatening to blind her.

"If I were you, I wouldn't keep my tongue so loose, _Snivellus_ ," she said, her voice cool as steel. "I will warn you, but only _once_. If you _ever_ come this close to Remus or his friends again, I will hex you so badly, even your Death Eater buddies won't be able to recognize you. The only reason I'm letting you go scot free now, is Lily." Snape's upper lip curled into a snarl, but he kept his eyes on the wand and kept quiet.

With a final glare at the Slytherin, Lisa put her wand down and dragged Remus off with her without another word.

She just kept walking, her insides boiling with anger. It was true that the Marauders often bullied Snape, but as hard as she tried, she could never imagine any of them sinking as low as he just had. They may have pulled pranks, but they would never revel in the thought of someone going crazy in Azkaban! And how DARE Snape take it out on Remus, who to Lisa's knowledge had never so much as lifted a wand against him, nor called him by that demeaning nickname, given to him by James and Sirius! Remus, who was never anything but courteous, even to those he disliked-...

"Um... Lisa? Where are we going?" Remus' voice snapped her out of her musings. She was still holding his hand in hers, she realized, as she had pulled him behind her all the way to the East Wing on the sixth floor, three floors above the Library. She stopped walking and let go of him, turning around to face him.

"S-Sorry," she murmured, as a hundred searing questions were racing through her mind. She wanted to ask them, to find out what in the world _Remus Lupin_ had to hide that could possibly land him in Azkaban, but just the thought of his blanched face and the idea that he could look at her like that, it made her sick to her stomach. ' _I won't ask_ ' she decided firmly.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "I don't know why I froze up like that. It's a bit embarrassing, actually."

She wanted so badly to meet his eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. So she did what she always did when she was nervous: she babbled.

"Yeah, I mean, that's what I thought too, right, because you're brilliant in Defense, and everyone'd think you can take that git in a fight, right, so I wasn't even sure it was you he was talking to, but I'm sure if it was a fair duel you'd cream him, not that I wouldn't have, but Lily, you know, and she did end things last year, but I get this feeling she'd be upset with me, but I did want to hex him, I mean you never did anything to him personally, but I suppose he's always been obsessed with you and your friends and how DARE he do that in the _Library_ where I go to read, now every time I look at a book about invisibility I'll get angry, and if that's on my N.E.W.T.s next year I'll turn him into a Flobberworm and-"

A soft chuckle brought her out of it and her eyes snapped to meet his. And he was standing there, smiling at her, with that same warmth in his eyes, as if they were back in fifth year. She couldn't help but return it, as fireworks were crackling in her stomach at the sight of him looking at her like that again.

"You're rambling," he said.

"Yeah, I do that," she blushed. "Damn Snape. If I go back to the Library, I might end up breaking something! So much for my plan," she muttered mostly to herself. Remus gave her a questioning look. "I was trying to escape the common room," she explained.

"Did Sirius and James throw Dungbombs in there again?" he asked tiredly, making her laugh.

"No, but I might've preferred that to _wolf whistles_. A rumor started about me and Sirius after that joke at tryouts."

Remus made a face and she laughed again.

"Listen, are you busy right now?" Lisa shot before she could stop herself. "I don't want to go back, and like I said, the Library is no longer an option, so... do you want to... walk around with me for a little bit?"

Remus' good humor dissipated almost immediately. He tensed up and she could practically feel the warmth fade from his voice.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he said.

The smile faded from her face as well and she couldn't believe that he could make her feel so happy one second, then turn around and make her want to cry the next. She felt like he was slipping, like she had him back for a brief moment, but now he was sliding into indifference again.

"Why?" she asked, more bravely than she felt. "Did I do something wrong?"

He looked taken aback, but when he spoke, his voice was perfectly measured and business-like.

"Of course not. I just think that you don't need anymore rumors floating around about you."

"Don't give me that rubbish!" she snapped suddenly, feeling hot anger burning through her. "You've been avoiding me since the year started! You tell me right now why you don't want to walk with me!" Lisa shouted in the empty corridor. She hadn't meant to lose it, but her sadness turned into anger surprisingly quickly.

"I haven't been avoiding you," he shot back.

"Yeah? Then you wouldn't have minded spending time in my company, would you? Unless I'm too boring and unpleasant for you to lose your valuable time with, in which case, I would like you to clarify it so I'd know _why_ you don't want to talk to me!" she yelled again, as he stared at her in shock.

"I never said-"

"You might as well have! If you think I'm boring or loud or a chore to be around, come out and say it! I've put up with it for weeks, with your indifference and your coldness, but don't just stand here and tell me it's not happening or that it's for _my_ sake!" She looked away, feeling her eyes finally well up with tears.

Remus stood there dumbstruck, as if a whole piano had been dropped on his head. He'd made her cry, he thought, and loathed himself for it. It hadn't even occurred to him that she would come to believe he saw her as _unpleasant_. Oh, the irony of it all! Maybe he had been wrong to deny he avoided her, or maybe he should've been better at hiding it altogether.

"Lisa, I didn't think... I never meant..." he started, but had no idea what to say to make it better.

"You didn't think _what_? That I'd notice? That I won't see that you can't even look at me anymore? Merlin, Remus, we've known each other for years! If I did something to offend you, or-"

"You didn't do anything!" he interjected hotly, taking a step toward her. He couldn't believe she would actually think she could do _anything_ to offend him, when just a flash of her smile made him feel better when someone else did. But he couldn't tell her, he had to hold back, he had to, or they'd both regret it.

"Then why?" she asked quietly, slipping back into sadness. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she no longer cared that he'd see them. "What did I do wrong?"

Remus felt like his heart was bound by a dozen metal rings that tightened painfully as he looked into her eyes. Those eyes that had laughed at his jokes, those eyes that were full of life, full of hope... And at that moment, the part of his brain that enabled him to keep himself in check, cracked under the weight of her tears and broke down. He scooped her in his arms and passionately met her lips with his.


	3. A Baby Pumpkin Sings Billy Joel

It was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

A strange, new feeling, being wrapped in his arms, as his warm lips were drinking hers. Lisa had never experienced a kiss like that before. It felt so good, so impossibly good, the fireworks in her stomach were flaring with full force and she thought she might just burst from it all. Her hands clutched the front of his robes, as her mouth moved to reciprocate the kiss. It deepened and deepened, as his arms tightened around her and one of her hands slipped up to cup his face.

The distant laugh of Peeves the poltergeist echoed through the hall and kick-started Remus' brain again.

He pulled away abruptly, startling her a bit. He couldn't do this; he _absolutely_ could not do this! Not knowing, nor wanting to find any words to say, he turned around and bolted down the corridor.

He knew this brief transgression would cost him dearly, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it. ' _One kiss_ ' he thought, ' _Just one._ ' And without meaning to, he pursed his lips to savor her lingering taste. As soon as he did, he cursed himself for his weakness. As fast as he ran, he couldn't escape the memory, as it played fresh over and over again in his mind. The way her body fit perfectly against his, how she tasted like honey and just how her hand had moved to caress his cheek... He felt his face blush, as the wanting in his stomach urged him to go back there, to hold her again and to experience that warmth once more...

* * *

oOo

Lisa was left alone and confused, to stare down the way Remus had ran. He kissed her and it seemed like he meant it, but then he suddenly ran off! She didn't know what to make of it anymore, what to think about his cryptic behavior. She skulked miserably down the corridor and her feet automatically seemed to take her to the Owlery. She called out to her Tawny owl, Gwen, and gently stroke the feathers on her back when the bird fluttered to land on her shoulder.

Lisa sighed as she leaned on one of the big Owlery windows and her thoughts ran back to that moment when Remus swept her into his arms and the way he had smiled when she babbled about Snape... ' _Why can't he be like that all the time?_ ' she asked herself bitterly. But regardless of his reasons, it seemed that his armor wasn't impenetrable after all. She thought for a second what Dorcas would do in her place and a smile stretched across her face. Her friend was never one to back down from a challenge and did not like losing _one bit_. She would badger and pester him, until she broke through that armor, until she got what she wanted. Lisa frowned a little, remembering that that was also James Potter's favorite tactic when chasing after Lily and that, if anything, it had only decreased his chances. But then again, Lily hadn't kissed James in empty hallways...

"You called?" Dorcas said, entering the Owlery half an hour later, still holding the enchanted origami swan Lisa had used to send her a message. The Gryffindor smiled weakly and gestured for her friend to join her at the window.

"You alright?" Dorcas asked after a brief silence.

"I'll let you know once I figure it out."

"You're starting to freak me out a bit. Snape was muttering something about you to Avery in the Common Room. Did you get on his bad side?"

"He kissed me."

"Snape!?"

"What? No! Lupin!"

Lisa couldn't help the massive smile that spilled onto her face.

"You _snogged_ Remus Lupin?!" Dorcas exclaimed. The blush on her friend's cheeks made her grin. "I _knew_ you fancied him! When and where?"

"About an hour ago, in the East Wing corridor."

"You saucy little minx, you! Well, that's a good thing right? No more pouting about him being 'less friendly'."

"I wouldn't say that." Lisa's smile faded somewhat. "He ran away right after he did it. And before that, he flat out refused to spend time alone with me."

"That bloke's not right in the head," Dorcas said, shaking hers. "What guy in his right mind would refuse alone time with a pretty bird like you?"

"Thanks, but I think it's literally written somewhere that you have to say that when your friends get rejected," Lisa rolled her eyes.

"So what if it is? It's true, at any rate," Dorcas scoffed. "So... what now? You'll continue moping and staring until the end of time?"

"It seems that way," Lisa smiled sadly.

"Oh no, you don't!" Dorcas seized her friend's shoulder and made her turn to face her. "Lisa Fawley, have I taught you nothing? If you want something, you go and _get it_! I won't let you sit around the Owlery and feel sorry for yourself, when there's a perfectly handsome, smart young man you could be snogging! If you want Remus Lupin, go out there and get him!"

"He's not a bloody book I can get from the Library!" Lisa snapped. "He's a person, not an object, and if he doesn't want to snog me, there's nothing I can do about it!"

"Bollocks! He _does_ want to snog you, otherwise you wouldn't be here right now arguing about it!"

"But he didn't want to be alone with me!" Lisa cried angrily. "What if... I don't just want to snog him? What if I want... more than that?" she added in a calmer tone, looking desperately at her friend.

"Stop staring at me like a wounded puppy!" Dorcas scolded her. "You must be daft, if you think Remus Lupin goes around snogging birds just for the hell of it! It's clear the bloke has some issues, but a lack of feelings for you is not one of them! I can tell by the way he looks at you."

"He doesn't look at me," Lisa said unhappily.

"Yes, he does. Just a few moments at a time and _only_ when you aren't looking his way, but he does."

Lisa remembered the moment she thought she'd imagined in the Great Hall and hope fluttered inside her like a swarm of butterflies.

"You really think... I mean, is it possible that he...?"

"That he wants something more too? Yes, I'd bet a solid sum of gold that he does," Dorcas smiled encouragingly. "As far as I know, he's never dated before... but with a lot of persistence and a little bit of luck... I really think you can do this."

* * *

oOo

On Monday Lisa gathered all the Gryffindor courage she could muster and entered her fist class, Ancient Runes, with the full intention of talking to Remus about what happened on Saturday. He and the Marauders had spent the entirety of Sunday nowhere to be found, but there were no corridors to escape through this time. For her disappointment however, she found James, Sirius and Peter chatting happily in the back without him.

"Is Remus sick again?" she asked Lily, taking her usual seat next to her.

"He's held up at the Hospital Wing," Lily nodded. "I overheard _that_ lot, when they were planning a visit during breakfast," she added, inclining her head towards the Marauders.

Just then, Professor Babbling tapped her wand on the black board, causing a paragraph of complicated runes to appear and told the class to open their books on page 56. Lisa giggled a bit at the way James was feverishly flipping through the pages and Sirius was getting his quill ready for taking notes.

"What?" Lily whispered.

"I just think it's kinda cute, the way James and Sirius take notes for Remus like that," Lisa explained in a low voice. "You know they don't usually bother to do it for themselves."

Lily's eyes shifted over to the Marauders, but the typical sharpness in her gaze whenever she looked at them was somewhat softened this time.

"Well, not everyone can be a slimy git 24/7, right? They have to slip up sometime" she said, causing Lisa to shake in another fit of laughter.

* * *

oOo

"There you go, mate," James said, handing Remus a messy, but detailed stack of notes. "That's from Runes, and Defense from yesterday, plus Charms and Transfiguration from today."

"Thank you," Remus smiled weakly. Even if he had a hundred thousand lives, he could never express how much it meant to him that his friends stuck by him, despite his... condition.

"That's enough visiting for one day, boys. You must let him _rest_!" Madam Pomfrey called, rushing towards the Remus' bed. "Now out, all of you!"

"See ya later, Moony" Peter called and his friends started for the door.

"By the way dear, a girl dropped this for you this morning. I didn't want to disturb you before, so here," Madam Pomfrey added, giving Remus a medium small blue box.

At the word 'girl', Sirius' head twisted around so fast, his neck almost snapped.

"A _girl_? You've been holding out on us, Moony! And here I thought I was the dog! Who-"

"Oh, no you don't! I let you stay with him for 15 minutes! _15 minutes_! He's never going to get better if you keep fluttering around his bed! Now out, OUT!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked and chased the Marauders out the door, but not before they managed to throw a few meaningful glances at Remus. The healer had saved him from their questions for now, but he knew that as soon as he stepped foot over the Fat Lady's portrait, they would ambush him for answers.

Of course, he could make a very educated guess on who left the box for him, as he had very few friends outside the Marauders, and even fewer of those were girls. The only ones who would bother to go out of their way before classes just to leave something for him would either be Lily Evans, a longtime friend and fellow prefect, or...

His insides wiggled like snakes just at the thought of her, and his cheek burned where she had touched it. With trembling hands, he lifted the lid and surprisingly came face to face with... a baby pumpkin? He picked it up and inspected it curiously.

"Hey, pal, watch it! Your fingers taste like soap!" it scowled, as it came to life in his hand. "Ya want me to sing ya a tune?" it added with its gruff voice and started singing (terribly off-key) ' _James_ ', a song form the new album of the muggle musician Billy Joel.

Remus stared at it in surprise, a smile creeping onto his face. He picked up the note folded up in the corner of the box and read:

_Dear Remus,_

_I heard you were sick again. I wanted to make you something that would cheer you up, although I suppose your friends already do that, but I felt restless nonetheless and I've never told you this before, but enchanting my own food to sing acapella to me was something I loved doing when I caught_ _Scrofungulus_ _when I was nine and had to stay at St. Mungo's for nearly a month, but it wasn't my fault, really, it was because Frank wanted to visit that blasted garden, and-..._

_I'm rambling again, aren't I?_

Remus smiled, despite himself. Lisa often digressed like that and sometimes the most fascinating tidbits about her life would just casually slip out. But she looked so animated and lively as the waterfall of words fell from her mouth that he couldn't help but stand there and stare at her.

_Anyway, I only wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I want to make a deal. I know it can't be easy, but whatever mess you've gotten yourself into, I still want to be there for you. I promise, I won't ask you any questions and whatever happened in the Library on Saturday will stay between a certain Slytherin and us, I'll make sure of that. But in exchange, I want you to stop alienating me and go back to being my friend. If you agree to do this, give this pumpkin back to me and I will take it as a sign that you want us to go back to normal. If you don't, I'll take the hint, and won't bother you anymore. I just want you to know, that... I care about you. Please don't shut me out._

_Lisa._

* * *

oOo

It was a quarter past nine on Thursday night and Lisa's eyes were already tired from staring at the parchment. She was sitting in the common room with Frank, Alice and Lily, as they were all scribbling away on their homework.

"I hate this," Lisa grumbled and threw another piece she got wrong into the fireplace.

Frank laughed dryly. "You hate it now, wait till next year. It's just like O.W.L. year, except _much, much worse._ "

"Weren't you supposed to be helping us with Charms?" Lily reminded him, dipping her quill in the ink bottle anew.

"I am. See, I let you have my old notes," he nodded towards the pile of parchment he brought to the table.

"But that'll take _ages_ to go through!" Lisa whined. "Can't you just tell us?"

"I could, but how will you _learn_?" he said theatrically, making Alice chuckle.

"Well, one of us is gonna have to explain it all to Marlene, when she comes back from her date anyway," she noted.

"Looks like we have a volunteer then!" Lisa said quickly. "How noble of you, Alice."

Lily giggled at Alice's shocked face and gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," Lily tried to say, but her attention was immediately drawn to the portrait hole, where the Marauders had just entered, bringing supplies of food from the kitchens and spreading them generously among the Gryffindors.

"Urg, looks like this place won't be safe to study for much longer. I'm going up before Potter sees me" she said hastily and shoved her half-finished essay in her bag. She wasn't even half way there, when James spotted her.

"Hey, Evans!" he called out, and as usual the whole common room turned to watch their spectacle.

The whole room, _but_ Lisa, whose attention was engulfed entirely by the approaching Remus Lupin, who carried a baby pumpkin in his hand. Her heart fluttered up to her throat again.

"Did it have to be off-key?" he asked jovially, holding out the pumpkin for her.

"I thought it'd make you laugh," she smiled weakly, placing her hand on top of it.

Frank's eyes darted between the two of them quickly, before he suddenly stood up.

"Come on, Alice. I'll teach you the basics of turning vinegar into wine," he said, pulling a bemused Alice after him.

Remus used that opportunity and quickly slid beside Lisa on the vacated couch.

"It did," he smiled warmly, like he hadn't noticed Frank and Alice at all.

 _Finally,_ Lisa thought to herself and once again had to fight back tears. Finally, he was back to normal, and he looked at her in that way he did last week in the East Wing...

"Did you like it? I was sort of wondering if you'd recognize the song," she said sheepishly.

"Billy Joel? How could I not? My mother's crazy about him," he laughed.

"So is Lily! She gave me a record of his for my birthday, so mom and dad had to take me to buy a muggle record player. Dad's fascinated by it."

"Most wizards are, when they come across muggle technology."

"I wish I could bring it in here... some music wouldn't hurt around this place, would it? But the magic's so thick; it won't allow anything that _isn't_ powered by it to work!"

"Good thing, too. Otherwise, we'd have to listen to Billy Joel every day. Imagine the horror!" he joked.

"What music would _you_ prefer, then?" she puffed indignantly.

"Jazz," he answered simply. Lisa erupted in a hearty laughter.

"You would, wouldn't you? That's so... so _you_!" she exclaimed. "Alright, next time I'll charm an orange choir to sing you something _jazzy_."

"As long as it's _on_ -key. That last one gave me a headache."

"I thought you said it made you laugh!"

"Made-me-laugh and made-me-want-to-smash-it-against-a-wall are not mutually exclusive," he pointed out.

"Alright, alright! Never send Remus Lupin singing fruits, I got it."

"No! I loved it, really!" he said urgently. She blushed and looked down at her parchment.

"Then I'll definitely make you more," she muttered barely above a whisper.

"Come on Moony, you can catch up on homework later! Come play Fanged Frisbee with us!" Sirius shouted from across the room and threw a handler's glove onto Remus' lap. He shot Lisa an apologetic look and paid for it with a Frisbee bite to the back of the neck.

"Too slow!" Sirius roared in laughter, and the rest of the Gryffindors joined in.


	4. Dorcas picks a side

"Another attack?" Lily asked with concern, peeking over Lisa's shoulder to read the _Daily_ _Prophet_.

The girls were sitting with Mary, Marlene and Alice at the Gryffindor table, when the barn owl carrying the morning paper had arrived.

"Of course there's another one," Lisa sighed heavily. "Four people dead this time. Things are getting worse and worse every day out there," she added darkly. Alice shuddered visibly next to Lily.

"It's alright, love," Lily said, running her hand comfortingly over her back. "We're safe at Hogwarts."

"No one is safe," Lisa muttered through gritted teeth, watching Snape, Mulciber, Wilkes, Rosier and Avery leave the Great Hall. "Alice is a pureblood, at least. I'm more worried about you," she added towards Lily.

"Sev wouldn't hex me," she said, following Lisa's gaze.

"Even with four other future Death Eaters urging him from behind?" Lisa snorted. "I know you used to be friends Lily, but you shouldn't have that much faith in him."

Lily fixed her with an icy glare.

"You have faith in Dorcas Meadowes," she said coldly.

"One has nothing to do with the other!" Lisa snapped. "Cass despises the Dark Arts, while your slimy excuse for an ex-mate can't stop obsessing over them!"

"Um... girls? Let's not fight... we're all on the same side, yeah?" Alice tried to interject, seeing the angry glares they exchanged.

"Yes, _we_ are. _He_ however plays for the opposite team!" Lisa growled, nodding towards Snape. The memory of him pressing Remus against the Library wall came vividly to the forefront of her mind and the paper crumpled in her hands. "I just want to remind some people of that."

"He _wouldn't_ hex me!" Lily hissed angrily.

"I wouldn't put it past him! But I do hope you're right, Lily, for your own sake," Lisa grumbled, getting up and walking away briskly.

She had a free period, so she headed to the Library, hoping to cool off with a good book on alchemy, but just passing by the Invisibility Section made her anger flare up again. She could hardly blame Lily for having a bit of trouble detaching herself from Snape, but she needed to wise up, before her trusting nature got her in trouble.

After about ten minutes of reading so close to the spot of Snape's last transgression, Lisa found herself constantly twitching to curse something. She gave out an exasperated sigh and checked out a couple of books, thinking she'd head to the common room. Walking and fuming, she tried to distract herself with thoughts about the would-be Alchemy class (that never formed, due to low demand), but the anger was still stewing inside her like a hot cauldron.

As she walked along the seventh floor, she glimpsed the Marauders, heading towards their Arithmancy class. Remus saw her first and regarded her with a quick smile, but she was looking beyond him, where Snape and his gang of Slytherins were waiting for class to begin, huddled against the wall. She saw Snape fix James with a cold stare, as his hand slipped into his robes, almost at the same time as Mulciber's.

"Hey, Fawley. Why so serious?" Sirius greeted her as they neared, but her mind was on other things.

" _Flipendo!_ " she yelled without warning, as her wand whipped through the air.

"What in the-" Sirius started to say, but his head snapped around to see Snape fly back through the corridor and slam into the floor.

In a fraction of a second, the Slytherins had their wands out, as did the Marauders. Spells and shouts flew everywhere, and after a couple of very disorienting minutes, it was over. The Slytherins were sprawled on the ground with various injuries (Lisa supposed the elephant trunk on Rosier must've been James' doing), all of them unconscious. Sirius, James and Remus were unharmed, but Peter sported a nasty cut on his leg, and Lisa's left arm was swollen to triple its size and throbbed painfully.

"I can fix that," she said and pointed her want at Peter's leg. " _Vulnera Sanentur_ _,_ _Vulnera Sanentur_ _,_ _Vulnera Sanentur,_ " she repeated, as the wound knitted itself.

"You know healing magic?" he squeaked in surprise. Lisa gave him a sour smile.

"I suggest you learn it too. It could be the difference between life and death out there," she said, making the short boy pale.

"What about you? What'd they even hit you with?" James asked, but he never got his answer, as Professor Vector finally opened the door to her classroom to see what all the noise was about.

" _Another_ brawl?" she said, not even sounding surprised. "Do I even have to guess who's involved?" she asked skeptically, moving her eyes from the Slytherins to the Marauders.

"I started it!" Lisa piped up, too annoyed and frustrated to try to hide it. "I saw Snape pull out his wand, so I hexed him!"

Professor Vector's eyes fluttered from the surprised expressions of the Marauders, to Lisa's swollen arm and finally to her face.

"In that case, thirty points from Gryffindor and detention. And get yourself to Madam Pomfrey girl, that arm looks positively ghastly!"

"I'll take her," Remus volunteered, seeing her wince in pain as she tried to bend down to retrieve her school bag.

"Thanks," she muttered when he swung it over his shoulder. He smiled as a response and they started their trek to the Hospital Wing.

"It was probably our fault this whole thing happened," Remus explained as they walked. "James and Sirius thought it'd be hilarious if they bewitched a couple of dusty erasers to follow them around and hit every part of them they could reach. They probably planned to ambush us before Arithmancy."

" _Planned?_ I'd say they almost succeeded," she snapped, irritated.

"... Is something wrong?" he asked, after a small pause.

"Everything's just peachy! People are dying left and right, Lily is a gullible twat and Avery got me with a Stinging jinx! Things couldn't get any better!"

There was a long pause, as Remus stared at her with a stunned face. She felt shame spreading through her body like a hot potion.

"I'm sorry," she sighed heavily. "I didn't mean to blow up in your face like that. It's just... Snape, mainly."

A crease appeared between his eyebrows.

"Did he do something to you?"

"Not directly. He just... gets me all wound up every time he comes up," she admitted, running her fingers through her hair. "I warned him, didn't I? I told him that if he came near you again, I'd hex him without a second thought, and..." She had to stop and take a deep breath, as her rage was raising its head again. "I had a row with Lily this morning, because she's convinced he wouldn't hurt her. I'm worried that'll get her into the Hospital Wing one of these days. Or worse."

"Maybe he really wouldn't," Remus suggested reasonably. "They did use to be close."

"It's... possible, I suppose," she mused, her brows knitting together.

Sinking into unpleasant thoughts about the greasy-haired Slytherin, they walked in silence for a while.

"Why a pumpkin?" Remus asked out of nowhere.

"What?"

"Why did you send me a pumpkin?" he repeated. "Why not something else?"

"Uh... because it's close to Halloween. I thought it would be... festive," she explained, the knot in her stomach relaxing a little. "Speaking of which," she added quickly before her resolve wavered, "there's a Hogsmeade visit scheduled for Saturday. Are you going?"

She realized that it would probably be better to ask that sort of question when all of her limbs were their proper size, but it was too late to take it back now. Remus only took a couple of seconds to reply, but it seemed to her she'd never waited longer for someone to speak.

"Yes," he answered slowly. "Sirius and James are bent on raiding Zonko's."

He flinched internally at such a bad lie. If his friends wanted anything in particular from Hogsmeade, they could sneak out literally at any time through one of the numerous tunnels. But Lisa didn't know that.

"Great," she beamed. "Maybe I'll see you there?"

"Yeah, maybe..." he drawled hesitantly. " Listen, I wanted to talk to you about what happened last Saturday... it... I mean, I... I shouldn't have done that," he said quickly and risked a swift glance in her direction.

"Oh," she said, her smile fading somewhat. "Yeah, don't sweat it."

"Really?" He couldn't help but turn to look at her. This was not a reaction he had expected.

"Sure. You've been having a hard time lately, we were in the middle of a row... and it just happened. Don't worry, I get it. We're just friends."

His heart sank down, despite logic. He had thought... for a moment, he allowed himself to believe that she meant it when she... He wanted to kick himself for being so naïve. He really should have known better.

* * *

oOo

" _We're just friends_?!" Dorcas gasped in horror, as she and Lisa were walking down the winded path to Hogsmeade. "Are you _kidding_ me? What ever happened to 'going and getting' him?!"

"Stop being so dramatic," Lisa said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "What else was I supposed to do? You reckon I should've made a scene, started crying, shouting, _demanded_ he started dating me? What would any of that accomplish?"

"At least it would be _something_!" Dorcas whined. "I would've kissed him again on the spot, give him the snog of his life. We'll see if he still regrets it afterwards."

"You would," Lisa smirked. "But I'm trying to _understand_ him. He's one big mystery, but pestering him for answers will only make him uncomfortable. Whatever it is that's happening to him, he doesn't want to share. I'm just trying to respect his personal space."

"Space, shmace," Dorcas waved dismissively. "So what if he's uncomfortable for a few minutes, you'll have the answers! If he's gonna kiss and run, the least he could do is tell you why!"

"I promised him I wouldn't ask questions," Lisa explained. "I don't want to press him too hard; it'll only push him away."

"What about him? It doesn't matter who's doing the pushing, if you end up farther apart anyway!" the Slytherin insisted. "You should have pressed him!"

"Cass, don't you know men are like dogs?" Lisa grinned. "You have to let them come to _you_. The more you squeeze, the harder they'll struggle to get away."

"Since when are you such an expert on guys? Or on dogs, for that matter?"

"My dad used to own a Dalmatian when I was little. I would throw huge temper tantrums when it ran from me and coiled around his legs. In its defense though, I think the stress from my constant stalking drove it to an early death."

Dorcas' laugh rang through the chilly October air, until a choice few of her housemates blocked the girls' path.

"That's as far as you go, Fawley," said Severus Snape maliciously, shadowed by his usual crew. "It seems Potter and that mutt Lupin are rubbing off on you. Don't think that just because the likes of _them_ can get away with everything, the same goes for you."

At the mention of Remus, Lisa's blood boiled instantly and her whole body tensed. Dorcas subtly placed a hand on her back and tugged at her sweater warningly.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Sour Losers Brigade. What, you lose one duel and start stalking girls that beat you? It's a wonder how all of you are still single," Dorcas said sarcastically.

"Shut your traitor mouth, Meadowes!" Avery growled.

"Or what? You'll suffocate me with your bad breath? And I'm not a traitor just because I didn't sign up to be a member of the Junior Death Eaters Club! Slytherin House is not Voldemort's official recruitment field!" Dorcas shot back.

"The offer still sands, Meadowes," called Rosier with his deep voice. "The Dark Lord could use someone of your ability."

Lisa's eyes widened in shock and she started turning to face her friend, but a sharp tug at her sweater made her keep her gaze fixed on the other Slytherins. They would talk about this later.

"I thought I was abundantly clear on that point," Dorcas smiled sourly. "You can't intimidate me, like you did with so many others. And I'm afraid I'm just not a big sympathizer of mass murder. Sorry."

"This is your last chance, Meadowes," Rosier repeated. "You're either with us... or you're with _them_. There is no middle ground."

Dorcas shrugged in response and drew her wand. The Slytherins followed, and so did Lisa.

"So that's how it is," Rosier said.

"I'm sorry, was I being too subtle?" Dorcas quipped. "Yeah, that's how it is."

Lisa shot her friend a quick glance. She was grateful Dorcas was sticking by her, but she knew this choice would make her life a lot harder.

"Five on two, huh? I guess chivalry truly is dead," Lisa said, moving her eyes from one wand to another.

"Who says? You're just looking for it in the wrong place!" called the voice of James Potter, as he and his friends were already pointing their wands at the Slytherins' backs, having come from the opposite direction.

"Ladies first," Sirius inclined his head with a smirk.

"Well, _ladies_? Fancy another trip to the Hospital Wing?" Dorcas joked, making the Gryffindors explode with laughter.

Snape looked ready to start spewing curses left and right, but Rosier knew a lost battle when he saw it. He put his wand away and nodded towards the castle. For a moment, some of them looked like they would rather start a fight anyway, but one by one the wands found their way into their respective pockets. With a final murderous glare at Lisa and the Marauders, Snape shoved past the girls and strode back to Hogwarts.

"That was a convenient appearance on your part," Dorcas noted, putting away her own wand.

"Not really," Sirius snorted. "We saw the slimy gits lurk around here, so we got suspicious."

"You took your sweet time getting ambushed, we've been waiting for fifteen minutes!" James whined, stretching out his arms. "Fancy a drink? Our treat."

The girls exchanged glances and nodded.

"Why not," Dorcas shrugged. "I'm already gonna get hell for what just happened, might as well rub some salt in the wound."

* * *

oOo

Fifteen minutes later, the group made their way to the somewhat crowded Three Broomsticks and miraculously found a booth that could fit all of them. Peter went to get the drinks, as the others sat down.

"I think I feel a draft in here," Dorcas said to Lisa after sliding on the bench next to Remus. "Switch with me?"

Lisa's heart jumped at the proposal, but she rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure you're not _imagining_ it?" Lisa emphasized skeptically.

"I don't feel a draft," Sirius joined in from Remus' other side.

"I am not!" Dorcas insisted. "I almost got into a duel for you today! Now switch with me!"

Lisa sighed and moved to sit next to Remus, both thanking her friend and cursing her for being so obvious.

"So Meadowes, what was that thing you said about getting hell?" James asked, when Peter came back and handed him a butterbeer.

A shadow fell over the Slytherin's eyes, as she gracefully flipped her long black hair behind her shoulder and sighed.

"Things are getting... worse, lately. That lot have been _convincing_ people into joining heir 'cause'."

"Threatening people, you mean," Lisa clarified with disgust.

"So they really are Death Eaters," snarled James.

"I haven't seen the Mark on any of them yet, but that doesn't mean they don't have it," Dorcas agreed darkly.

"How many?" Sirius asked, his shoulders tensing up. Dorcas gave him a pitying look.

"I know what you're really asking. Yes, he's been... enthusiastic about joining. They say he's a bit too young, though, haven't fully accepted him yet," she said, earning a questioning look from Lisa. The Marauders exchanged sad glances.

"Who are you talking about?" Lisa asked.

"My brother," Sirius answered her with a mixture of anger and sadness. "He's always been a fool, that Regulus. Ate my parents' rubbish like cauldron cakes. I always knew he'd get himself mixed up with them at some point." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Maybe... maybe it's not too late? We could... convince him," Lisa tried to suggest, placing a hand on his forearm. Remus' eyes lingered on their touch a bit longer than necessary.

"I doubt it," Dorcas shook her head slightly. "If you could see the way he talks about him... about Voldemort... he's too far gone."

"But... there must be _something_ we can do! No one is beyond hope," Lisa insisted.

"This isn't a children's special! There's a real war out there, people are dying!" Dorcas snapped. "You can't save everyone," she added a bit more softly.

Lisa's hands curled into fists in her lap. She knew Dorcas was right, but she wanted to help Sirius somehow. "Does that mean I shouldn't try?"

"Don't be so naïve. Just a few days ago you were preaching the same to Lily," Dorcas reminded her.

James's head perked up at the mention of the redheaded Gryffindor. "Evans? What about her?"

Lisa ignored him. "That was different. I was warning her about Snape."

"And what makes _him_ beyond help? The fact that you hate him?" Dorcas persisted. "If I told you it was never too late to save Snape, would you be willing to take a shot at it?"

Lisa looked down in shame, realizing how two-faced she was being. No matter how hard she tried, she could never forgive him for what he'd done. The expression he brought to Remus' face and the way he'd so thoroughly enjoyed it all... it made her sick to her stomach. Even if he asked for it, she wasn't sure she'd help him.

"It's not like Snape would jump up at the opportunity to save any of us," Sirius scowled.

"That doesn't mean we should leave him to the wolves!" James retorted unexpectedly and shot Sirius a reprimanding look.

"Whatever," the latter said with a shrug, but there was a certain edge in his eyes. "Point is, I won't be losing any sleep over the salvation of his soul. Or Regulus'," he added bitterly. "They're not stupid. They've seen what Voldemort is doing and they've chosen their path. You've all read the paper, people who do things like that can't be _reasoned_ back to our side."

A heavy silence fell over the group, as each of them mused over what had just been said.

"But not everybody joins of their own volition," Remus spoke up after a while. "There must be a way to help those that were forced."

"I don't see how," Dorcas said. "I've tried talking to some, but the pressure's too much."

"It's not just in Slytherin either," Peter chimed in. "I've heard rumors the movement is spreading. I overheard a bunch of Ravenclaws talking about it in the loo."

The atmosphere of the table got even gloomier. They had started to branch out.


	5. A trip to the kitchens

 Wednesday's Quidditch practice was a nightmare.

Lisa was doing completely fine, until she saw with the corner of her eye Remus, Peter and Sirius climbing the stands. She tried to concentrate on what was happening on the field, but she couldn't help glancing in their direction every so often until a Bludger nearly took her head off. James blew the whistle and gestured for the team to land.

"Sirius, I want you off the bloody stands!" he called towards his friends, as they were making their way over.

"What did I do?" Sirius demanded indignantly.

"You're distracting Fawley! She was doing fine before you lot showed up! She keeps dropping the Quaffle and almost ran into O'Flaherty!"

"So I'm banned, just because she can't keep her eyes off me? Bloody hell Prongs, why don't you just ban me from Hogwarts, then?" he smirked. Lisa's face was steadily becoming redder than the Quaffle in her hands.

"You two can shag in any broom cupboards you can find _inside_ the castle, but on _this_ _pitch_ I am Captain, so I forbid you to attend practice," James said seriously.

"You can't stop true love, Prongs," Sirius quipped, but shrugged and headed back with a final wink towards Lisa.

She stared adamantly at the ground, wishing it would just swallow her already. As if there weren't enough rumors about her and Sirius, he always had to go and make it worse with his near constant flirting. And it added an extra layer of uncomfortable that it was all happening right in front of Remus.

"I'm sorry, James," she uttered quietly. "You don't have to make them leave. I'll do better, I promise."

He regarded her skeptically for a second, then said, "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

She nodded, still too embarrassed to look up. He sighed and called after his friends.

"We're gonna get creamed on Friday, aren't we?" Eddie Cornhill murmured, glancing at Lisa.

"Shut your mouth, Cornhill, or you'll find out from the stands," James scowled.

"You don't tell _her_ that," Eddie added scornfully. "If I hex a bunch of Slytherins in your name, will I get special treatment too?"

Lisa felt anger flare up inside her again, but the new seeker, Felicity Rickett, came to her defense.

"Shut up, Eddie. I doubt _you_ can hold your own against them, even _if_ the Captain had your back."

"Which I won't, if you keep this up," James added. "Everyone, back on your brooms. Fawley, pay attention to what's happening in the _air_ this time."

The team soared through the sky and Lisa was thankful to be away from Sirius' flirting and Remus' eyes.

* * *

oOo

Lisa rolled around in her bed for three hours, before finally giving up. There was just no point in trying to fall asleep with that tight ball of nerves in her stomach. She threw away the covers and silently wrapped herself in her dressing gown, taking care not to wake her dorm mates and quietly opened the door, descending into the Common Room.

The fire was still flickering in the hearth, casting long shadows on the carpet. The room was empty, filled only with unfinished homework and forgotten knick-knacks strewed over the floor. Lisa found herself a comfortable chair and sank in it miserably. The day after tomorrow, she had to face the Slytherins in the first match of the season. Her performance had been pitiful lately, because the Marauders had made it a point to come to the last few Quidditch practices, which despite her best efforts, was very distracting. Whether they did it to mess with her for a laugh or they were genuinely interested in how the team was doing (an interest that wasn't nearly as prevalent last year), knowing Remus was looking at her made her clumsy as a troll.

Eddie started keeping his tongue, but he still threw her a glare here and there, whenever she'd mess up in a more spectacular way. James didn't say anything either, but she knew he was considering benching her if she wasn't up to playing decently in the match. Lisa worried more about letting her team down, than being told not to play. She prided herself in being an above average flyer, and just the thought of being told she sucks at the one thing she'd always thought she was good at... it felt like a punch in the gut.

Suddenly she heard the low creak of a door opening and someone's soft steps going down the staircase. She considered for a moment whether to lean back into the chair further or to peek and see who it was, but the choice was made for her.

"Lisa?"

Remus' hair was disheveled, his face pale and tired. He was wearing striped pajamas and an open dressing gown, his right hand bent behind him suspiciously.

"Couldn't sleep?" she supposed, getting up from the chair and approaching him. He shook his head.

"I... had a lot on my mind," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I was just going to pop by the kitchens for a glass of milk, or something..." His eyes wandered to the portrait hole.

"Can I come with? I've never been to the kitchens before," Lisa asked hopefully.

He regarded her with a long look, debating hotly within himself. Being alone with her in the middle of the night would be a _very bad_ idea. But they were just going to the kitchens, nothing else, and all the house elves would be there, so it wasn't like they'd be alone. But if they used James' Invisibility cloak, which he was currently clutching in his fist, they'd have to walk very close together. But it wouldn't matter anyway, because she fancied Sirius, of that he was sure. And what harm could his own twisted feelings be, if he didn't act on them? And he would _not_ , seeing as he now knew it was one-sided. She had said it, both in writing and face to face – they were just friends.

"Sure." He nodded, moving the cloak from behind his back.

"Is that an Invisibility Cloak?" Lisa asked intrigued, stepping closer. "My dad gave me one for my birthday last year. He makes it a point to remind me to take it every time I go out. They cost a fortune though, and I've heard they wear out quickly."

"It's James' actually. I'm just borrowing it," Remus explained, throwing the cloak over both of them. "But his family is loaded, so it wouldn't surprise me if it did cost a fortune."

They climbed out of the portrait hole and started down the corridor. Lisa's heart was beating so feverishly, she wondered if he could hear it. The school was empty and surprisingly creepy at night, as she was accustomed to seeing it filled with light and chatter.

"You know, this is my first time sneaking out after hours," she whispered.

"Really? My first time was halfway through first year. James and Sirius roped me into helping them charm the tables in the Great Hall to start dancing in the middle of breakfast."

She chuckled, enjoying the shivers his breath sent down her neck.

They crept silently down stairs and through shortcuts she'd never even known about, until they found themselves somewhere on the basement level. Walking down a well-lit corridor, Lisa noticed most of its paintings weren't portraits, but pictures of food. Remus stopped in front of the one with the huge silver fruit bowl and reached his hand out under the cloak, tickling the pained green pear making it suddenly erupt in loud giggles. Lisa looked around startled, fearing someone would hear and come running, and when her eyes fell on the image again, the pear was replaced with a doorknob, which Remus turned quickly. The whole painting swung forward and he pulled her inside, taking off the cloak of and folding it carefully.

The kitchen was less spectacular than Lisa had imagined it. A high ceiling room with heaps of pots along the walls and a giant fireplace on the other end. The only furniture seemed to consist of exact replicas of the long tables in the Great Hall. Before she could take in anymore of her surroundings, a small battalion of house elves surrounded them.

"Good evening, Masters! Would you like a cup of tea?" one of them squeaked.

"Just two cups of warm milk, if you please," Remus said politely and Lisa couldn't help but smile. "We would like to stay here for a while, if that's okay with you."

The elves all nodded vigorously and about a dozen of them heaped fluffy red pillows in front of the fire, so when the two Gryffindors sat down it felt like they were on a weird misshapen mattress.

"What?" he asked, when he noticed she was staring at him.

"Nothing." She blushed. "It just... it's great how polite you are, even to house elves," she told him, taking a few of the sweets one of them offered.

"House elves deserve to - thank you - deserve to be treated nicely too," he noted, gratefully accepting his cup of milk.

"Of course they do, I didn't mean it like that. It's just, well, they're you know, only house elves. It's their job to serve you."

"It is, but that doesn't mean you should treat them like objects. A few encouraging words could make a big difference in their lives. They have feelings too, you know."

"I've... never thought about it like that."

Having lived her whole life surrounded by the little creatures, she had seen them as more of a decoration than anything else. They always obeyed her command without question and she had never considered the possibility it could be _unpleasant_ for them to do so. She looked around the kitchen guiltily.

"I'm sorry if we woke you up," she said apologetically to the many elves surrounding them.

"Not at all, Miss! We clean the Common Rooms and Class Rooms after everyone sleeps, we do. We are glad to serve," one of them squeaked.

Remus regarded her with a strange smile and brought the cup to his lips.

"So, what kept you up so late?"

Lisa drew her legs up to her chest. She wasn't sure how much she should tell him, feeling that if she admitted it was because he distracted her during practice it might put him in an uncomfortable position and make him feel guilty.

"It's... a bunch of things," she replied elusively. "I'm a bit nervous about the game on Friday."

"Oh. I'm... I'm sure you'll be great," he tried to encourage her.

"Thanks for saying that, but I don't know if I believe it. I've been pretty bad lately. To be honest... I'm afraid James will kick me off the team any day now," she admitted miserably. There was a pause, while Remus struggled for something comforting to say.

"I'm sure he wouldn't do that. He knows it's just temporary... you'll do better when the crowd is bigger."

"Maybe..." She tried to hide her blush in her knees. " If you knew what was distracting me, why did you come?"

He thought over his answer carefully. It had been upon his insistence that he, Sirius and Peter go watch the Gryffindor practices, under the pretext they had nothing else to do anyway and it would show support for James. But the real reason had been that he could freely look at her without seeming suspicious. He didn't expect Sirius being there would have such an effect on her.

"I... didn't think it through, I suppose. I'll make sure we stop."

"I don't want you to feel like you can't come and watch," she said quickly.

"Well, we can't very well leave Sirius on his own with only Peter to reign him in. Who knows what kind of trouble they'd get into," he quipped, making her laugh.

"I think I might prefer him in detention than on the pitch," she remarked, remembering his embarrassing wolf-calls. Then her thought jumped from Sirius, to his brother, to the Slytherins and the war. "Remus, can I... tell you something?" He nodded slowly. "Sometimes I feel... _guilty_ about having such insignificant problems. Being on the Quidditch team, Snape... it all seems so _small_. What you read in the _Prophet_ isn't even a quarter of the horror that's happening outside. And here I am in this big, safe castle, and it all seems so distant, almost like it isn't real."

He stared into the fire thoughtfully. "Your dad writes for the _Prophet_ , right?" She nodded. "What aren't they telling us?"

"I don't know the details," she admitted. "I've heard my parents talk about it when they think I'm in bed. Cuffe, the editor, refuses to publish a number of my dad's articles. He doesn't want to spread panic, Dad says, and the pieces are too violent apparently, but my dad insists wizards have the right to know. They leave a Mark over a house they've been in, for example. Did you know that?"

He nodded grimly. "I believe the war's actually closer than you think. They do it from the shadows, but you heard Dorcas. The Death Eaters are recruiting, right here, in Hogwarts."

"Recruiting, yes," she agreed. "But what are you suggesting we do, _write_ about it? If they did something _openly_ , maybe we could defy them, but as it is now, who'd believe us? ... Oh, I'm just horrible, aren't I? Wishing for someone to get hurt, just so I could do something about it... I think I might have a Hero Complex."

Remus chuckled softly into his cup. "At least you admit it."

She threw a pillow at his head, making him spill the milk all over himself. For a second he looked like he'd scold her, but her giggles preceded it and soon the kitchen echoed with their laughter. When he got a hold of himself, Remus cleaned his pajamas with a wave of his wand.

"You're getting pretty good with silent spells," she noted, feeling a little bit better after a good laugh.

He shrugged. "I try. And no, I'm not suggesting we start a newspaper. If they're recruiting, then so should we."

"What're you saying? You want to start our own Anti-Death Eaters?"

"And why not? Something tells me that with the Death Eater supporters growing in number, the attacks against muggle-borns will increase within the school. Remember what happened to Mary last year? There _must_ be someone willing to fight them. If we talk to certain people, we could help keep the muggle-borns _safe_. And once we graduate..." He lowered his voice. "We overheard McGonagall talking to Flitwick. Dumbledore has some people going on missions for him. He's fighting Voldemort, even if the rest of the wizarding world isn't aware of it. If the Slytherins are gathering support for _him_ , then maybe we should do the same for Dumbledore."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we gather Dumbledore an army to fight the Death Eaters?"

Remus laughed. "I wouldn't put it quite so dramatically. But yes, I do think we should start some sort of counter movement."

"You're mad," she concluded. "A complete nutter."

"They're gaining influence. With more of them joining, how long do you think it'll be before open attacks against muggle-borns do start? We must do something now, before everything gets worse."

She stared at him, deep in thought. For a while now she'd been itching to do something to help the war effort, some way to fight back, but now that she was actually entertaining the idea, it all seemed crazy.

"And what would we do before we graduate and run off to Dumbledore? Just patrol the corridors? Hex anyone that looks suspicious?"

"Is that not heroic enough for you?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"That's not... who would we even... how-"

"We'll figure it out," Remus interjected, a strange fire twinkling in his eyes. "Are you with me?"

He offered her his hand and everything instantly became clear. She placed her palm in his.

"As if you need to ask."

 


	6. An unexpected game of Quodpot

' _I'm sure you'll be great.'_

Remus' words rang through Lisa's mind, as she was miserably nibbling on a piece of toast at breakfast.

"Why the long face?" greeted Dorcas, sliding next to her on the bench.

"Because we're gonna get creamed."

"Oh, did I oversleep? I thought the match hadn't started yet," Dorcas tried to cheer her up. Lisa only managed to look up at her with glassy eyes.

"You might as well go and take a nap, the outcome is clear anyway."

"Hey now, since when do you give up so easily? You'll just have to compensate for those tossers you call teammates and score more points."

"They're not the problem," Lisa sighed. "I am. I've been _terrible_ at practice lately."

"You? I thought that was the one thing you were supposed to be good at," the black haired Slytherin quipped, earning herself a glare from her friend.

"You ready, Fawley?" Adrian Fleet called behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No," Lisa replied sourly, but got up.

"You'll do fine," Dorcas insisted, as the Gryffindors were walking away.

When the two chasers got to the locker room, they were surprised to find the Marauders there, talking to James.

"Hey Lisa, do you have a minute?" Remus called out as soon as he saw them.

"The match's about to start, Moony! Don't tell me you hung around just to put the moves on Fawley!" James protested. "And here I thought you came to wish your best mate good luck!"

Remus ignored him, as Lisa nodded and they went outside to talk.

"What's up?" she asked tiredly.

"I made something for you," he said, reaching in the folds of his robes and pulling out a small glass bottle, filled with a light-turquoise substance.

"What is it?" she asked, taking the warm potion in her hand.

"Er... Draught of Peace," he admitted stiffly. Lisa's jaw hit the ground. The Draught of Peace was a notoriously difficult potion, requiring a lot of precision and care on the part of the potion maker. Just the fact that he tried something like that...

"You made this... for me?"

"It will help you relax a little. Just don't take too much; the side effects can be nasty."

Lisa's heart swelled with warm feelings and she felt a lump forming in her throat. Before she could stop herself, she launched forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt so _good_ to be this close to him again, but when they heard the door to the locker rooms swing open, they broke apart quickly.

"What's the hold up, you two? Madam Hooch wants us on the field _now_!" an irritated James beckoned.

"Right. Thank you _so_ much!" Lisa breathed and went in after her captain.

Remus just stood there dazed and stared at the closed door. He knew he shouldn't feel this way, but she had just hugged him, _hugged him_ , and his heart was beating against his ribcage like a battering ram.

"What was that about, mate?" Sirius inquired as he and Peter exited the locker rooms and the boys all headed to the stands.

"Lisa told me she was worried about the game. I made her a potion for the nerves," Remus replied, still half-stunned.

* * *

oOo

"And they're off!" bellowed the voice of the commentator Emma Vance, a fourth year Hufflepuff. "We have two new captains this year, both James Potter and Lucinda Talkalot..."

Lisa tried to drown out her voice and only concentrate on the game. She was aware like always that Remus was watching, but she couldn't distinguish him from first glance, and averted her eyes from the stands. He was right, having a crowd helped. But so did a Draught of Peace in your belly. She smiled to herself, but quickly came to her senses, as one of the Slytherin Chasers had the Quaffle.

' _I can do it this time!_ ' she thought and flew straight for him.

"Fawley tries to intercept... they're headed for a collision!"

At the last moment, the Chaser's hand twitched slightly on his broom to the left. Lisa immediately adjusted her own direction and swiped the Quaffle right from his hands, narrowly missing crashing into him. She flew toward the Slytherin rings, but the other two Chasers tried to block her way. She dropped the Quaffle straight down, where James whizzed past and caught it, scoring Gryffindor's first point. The crowd cheered loudly.

"10 points for Gryffindor!" Emma Vance shouted into the microphone.

Lisa was ecstatic! She hadn't pulled off something this good in weeks! She thought about Remus, but the usual twist in her stomach was gone. She silently thanked him.

"And Fleet has the Quaffle, heading to the Slytherin rings again!"

A Bludger flew by Lisa's head, narrowly missing her and struck Adrian Fleet in the shoulder, making him drop the ball. Slytherin chaser Dominic Gott caught it from beneath and tried to pass it to Luke Garber, but James flew between them and stole it. The crowd cheered again, as he passed to Lisa, who saw Adrian was practically next to the rings and passed to him, and he scored the second goal.

Halfway during the third play Madam Hooch blew her whistle for a penalty shot. Sirius' brother Regulus was the Slytherin Seeker and had almost knocked little Felicity off her broom. James scored the third point.

In the next seventeen minutes Lisa and James scored 2 points each.

"80:00 for Gryffindor! Their team is really on fire today! Or maybe the new Captain Talkalot simply sucks as a Keeper..."

The game intensified. The Slytherin beaters were sending Bludgers in every direction; the Quaffle was passed less and less. At the thirty-minute mark, Gryffindor was leading with 100 points. If Felicity caught the bloody snitch anytime soon, they'd win!

Gott was flying determinately towards the Gryffindor rings. James tried to intercept, but had to make a sharp turn to avoid a Bludger. Adrian tried as well, but Luke Garber kept flying in his path. ' _It's up to me then'_ Lisa thought. ' _I won't let him have a shot at O'Flaherty'_. She flew straight at him, trying for another Quaffle snatch. Just as they were about to pass each other, Gott gave her a creepy grin and threw the Quaffle at her. She caught it in surprise, and whipped her head back to stare at him, barely noticing the ball in her hands was unusually heavy.

The explosion was so sudden, she couldn't even scream.

* * *

oOo

Lisa woke up on something soft, with a slightly annoying ringing in her ears. ' _Hospital Wing'_ , she guessed. Someone was holding her hand, and she wanted to find out who it was, but her eyelids felt like they were made out of lead. She mustered all of her will, and as her eyes fluttered open, she saw her best friend sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"How do you feel?" Dorcas asked softly, caressing her hand.

"Like something exploded in my face," the Gryffindor replied weakly. "What the hell happened?"

"No one is sure yet. It looks like someone bewitched the Quaffle to explode, like in that weird American game."

"What are you on about? What American game?"

"Never heard of Quodpot?" Dorcas asked, a smile playing on her lips. "That's the poor man's version of Quidditch they play over there. It's like a game of hot potato, where the ball they play with explodes if you take too long to score."

Lisa chuckled despite herself. Leave it to Dorcas to try and make you laugh after you've just been injured. "At least tell me we won?"

The cheer vanished from the Slytherin's eyes and she shook her head slowly. "The match got postponed."

"Postponed!? Why?"

"James... kinda lost it. He swore up and down that Dominic Gott passed the tempered Quaffle to you on purpose and was _grinning_ when you caught it. The second you fell, he whipped out his wand and turned the whole lot of them into cockroaches. He was furious; he kept yelling that they targeted you because they knew..."

"Knew what?" Lisa asked weakly. She didn't even have the mental capacity to get curious at this point. All she wanted was a nap...

"I was hoping _you_ could tell me that. McGonagall dragged him off to help her find the Slytherin team and get them back to normal and he has detentions for the next two weeks."

" _Him_? What about Gott!? He really did throw the Quaffle at me, the slimy git!" Lisa's head throbbed painfully from the anger.

"No one saw what was happening clearly. They're 'looking into it', but with that Quaffle destroyed, they won't get anywhere."

"So they're getting away with it!? They could have _killed_ me!"

"That was probably the intention. The balls don't explode with that much strength in Quodpot and in that they have-"

" _Enough_ with the silly American sports!"

"Fine. But I'm not joking when I tell you this: Gott's one of _them_. I think James may be right, they _targeted_ you."

"But _why_?" Lisa's head was spinning from the overexertion. "What could they possibly know that would make me a target? And how come _James Potter_ knows about it too?"

She placed a hand over her forehead and realized her Chaser gloves were off and her fingers were wrapped in white bandages. "How long was I out?"

"Just an hour or two. Some of your dorm-mates came by too, but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let so many people around your bed."

"So how come you're allowed?"

"You snooze, you lose," Dorcas shrugged with a smirk. "I got here first. Some are waiting outside for news, though."

Lisa chuckled again and squeezed her friend's fingers gently. "The team?"

"Outside too. I heard that brainless tosser Cornhill say you might die," she scoffed. "As if something like that could kill _you_. You were in a pretty bad shape when they brought you in though, so the idiots are worried."

"Aren't _you_ worried?"

"Nah," Dorcas waved a hand dismissively. "I know you're tougher than that. I just wanted to be here when you woke up, so you'll clear the mystery of what they know about you, but as usual you're no help at all. It's like potions class all over again."

"Hey! I'm good at potion making!" Lisa protested, trying to sit up, but a sharp pain in her head made her lie back with a groan.

"Only when Lupin isn't around," the Slytherin said cheekily. "I'll let you get some rest. Looks like you'll need all the beauty sleep you can get."

Lisa was too tired to ask what the hell _that_ meant and just nodded, watching her friend draw the curtains around her bed and leave.

* * *

oOo

Remus paced in front of the Hospital Wing nervously.

His heart had almost stopped when he saw Lisa as the teachers were carrying her off. Her face was black and blue all over, with visibly deep cuts and blood everywhere. Her skin had been horribly burned in places and her hands were leaving a trail of red on the ground, dripping down her gloves and sleeves. Luckily, James had managed a cushioning charm before turning on the Slytherin team, so the fall itself hadn't left much of an impact. He wanted to howl and scratch and bite and break things, while simultaneously wanting to break down and cry. The storm of feelings inside him wasn't helped by the almost _crushing_ sense of guilt, the knowledge that she was in this state because of _him_. Because they knew.

The door opened slowly and Dorcas Meadowes exited the ward. Everyone's heads turned to her.

"She'll live," Dorcas sighed tiredly. "Her skin is whole now at least, and her hands are almost back to normal. She didn't seem in any pain."

Lily let out a sigh of relief and Felicity Rickett hit Eddie Cornhill in the shoulder.

"I _told you_ she wouldn't die," the blonde Seeker whispered, but she couldn't hide the giddiness in her voice.

"She wants to see you," Dorcas added toward Remus.

"M-Me? What about?" he stuttered, as everyone gawked at them.

Dorcas just shrugged and sidestepped from the door, trying to hide her grin. Remus nodded a bit confused, but glad he had an excuse to see her and walked in.

He slowly approached her bed, preparing himself mentally for what she might look like. The memory of her battered and bleeding body flashed before his eyes and his stomach contracted painfully. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Remus slowly drew the curtains open and was surprised to see how almost normal she looked. The places where her skin had been burned off were just rosy spots now; the bruises had been reduced to pale yellow smudges, the cuts healed and her fingers bandaged. He guessed the leather gloves must've lessened the impact somewhat and couldn't help but marvel at Madam Pomfrey's excellent magic abilities.

"Remus," Lisa muttered confused, as he sat down next to her bed. "You're here." She smiled dizzily.

"Well, yeah," he replied simply. Did she think he'd ignore her call? "I... I'm sorry," he said.

"About what?"

"They attacked you because of me. Because they had an opportunity and they knew what we were up to."

"Wait a second." Her eyes cleared from the fog somewhat. "Are you saying you know what this whole thing is about?"

He nodded grimly. "James was disgusted at the cowardly way they went about it. _He_ would face whomever in a head-to-head fight, and anything less sort of insults him. And when that Quaffle exploded..." Remus shook his head, unable to go on. He sighed deeply, then buried his head in his hands. "It straight up blew you off your broom. There was blood everywhere, whole _pieces_ of your skin missing... some whispered that you could _die_ , and-" He had to stop, because he was starting to choke up.

She lifted her hand, ignoring the painful screams of her muscles and pulled on one of his, still buried in his hair.

"It was just a stupid rumor," she said soothingly, wrapping her bandaged fingers gently around his. "Just Eddie Cornhill, being an idiot. It'll take a lot more than an exploding _ball_ to take me out." He sighed heavily and took her hand between both of his, bringing them to rest against his forehead.

"It doesn't mean I wasn't scared," he whispered. He cursed himself for slipping again; he really should have more self-control than this. "I should get going... letting you rest and all that-"

"Stay," she pleaded quietly. He turned to look at her, and the second he did, he knew it was too late to get away.

"Okay."

Lisa smiled to herself and closed her eyes, finally surrendering to sleep.

* * *

oOo

Madam Pomfrey insisted on holding her for a couple of days, but on Monday evening she finally consented and Lisa was free to go. As she walked to the seventh floor, the blonde Gryffindor contemplated her last conversation with Remus, realizing she still had no idea what it was that everyone seemed to know about her.

"Come on," James growled as soon as she climbed through the portrait hole to Gryffindor Tower, grabbed her firmly by the wrist and dragged her out again.

"What the-" Lisa shot a confused look at Remus, who came behind them, but he, Sirius and Peter just followed them wordlessly with grim expressions on their faces. "You're not gonna... sacrifice me in a dark ritual or something, are you?" she asked jokingly as they flew down the stairs.

No one answered her, but soon she didn't have the breath to ask any more questions, as the brisk pace they were walking in was too much for her so soon after the explosion. She noticed they were headed to the Great Hall and made a turn for the Hufflepuff Basement. Realization graced her eyes, just as James stopped abruptly before a paining depicting a bowl of fruit. He reached forward, tickled the green pear and pulled her into the kitchen, followed by the rest of the Marauders.

"You!" he pointed to the first house elf he saw, letting go of Lisa. "I order you to tell me if any of you have spoken to any Hogwarts students that are not in this kitchen during the last four days!"

The elves took in the five Gryffindors, and after a moment of silence, one of them stepped forward.

"I spoke to Sir Hugh Wetherbee from Ravenclaw House, Sir," it squeaked.

James was starting to shake with anger.

"Did you tell him about Thursday night, when this Miss and I were here?" Remus interjected, before his friend started yelling.

"Yes, Sir!" The house elf was trembling like a leaf under James' angry glare. "Sir Hugh asked if the students had been talking about the Dark Lord, Sir. And Dinky had to tell him, Sir, he had to!"

"So you rat us out," Sirius growled.

"Sirius, they can't help it," Remus said quietly.

James turned on his heel and exited, as the Marauders and Lisa exchanged glances and followed him. He walked straight into the first empty classroom he saw and Sirius immediately placed muffling charms on the door.

"So," Lisa started. "The house elves told the Junior Death Eaters what Remus and I talked about in the kitchen. That's why they threw me that Quaffle, they stroke preemptively before we could do it." Everything was so clear now.

"Those _cowards_!" James snarled. "To do it in front of everyone like that too, without ever staining their hands!"

"Then we're definitely doing it," Sirius said darkly. "Right?"

Lisa and Remus exchanged glances. They had only ever had one conversation about it, and nothing discussed in detail.

"We are," James said, looking at them determinately. "We have to."


End file.
